Wedding cakes are meant to impress, delight, and serve as one of the yummiest desserts you’ll ever have after tying the knot with the love of your life. They’re also a great way to express yourself, both with flavor and quirky cake toppers. While celebrities have a little more leeway (ahem — money) to build a cake that’ll feed the masses, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a little bit of inspiration from their wedding desserts. After all, even the most elaborate designs can be replicated by a good home baker.
These days, not all newlyweds are celebrating with cake. They’re also finding inspiration in desserts like donuts and cupcakes, adding a ton of originality to normal traditions. Some couples opt for a small cake to cut into during the reception, while others are abandoning the tradition altogether. Even though a complete lack of cake seems to be somewhat of a tragedy (because even cupcakes from a box mix are better than no cake at all), it’s pretty incredible to see how weddings have progressed and become truly unique experiences in the past decade.
If you’re thinking about how to design your own wedding cake, or just like to reminisce on what the stars did, these photos will be the perfect way to see what celebs chose for their big day. Some of them are gigantic, others quite small, and one even happens to be upside-down. To start, let’s talk about some of the most elegant cakes around, brought to us by the royals.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
You’d imagine the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wouldn’t hold back on their cake when they got married in May 2018 — and you’d be right. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had a lemon elderflower wedding cake that was presented on a gold plate and topped with beautiful flowers. You might remember So Yummy’s coverage of the cake back in May: we were OBSESSED with Meghan’s choice and loved that the cake felt so hip and fresh.
Image credit: violetcakeslondon/Instagram
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Speaking of the royal family, Prince William and Kate Middleton also had an impressive wedding cake when they wed in 2011. It actually includes a bit of lace detail, which is extremely elegant. Compared to Meghan and Harry, William and Kate’s cake was far more traditional, and like other royal cakes before them, it was a fruitcake.
Image credit: fionacairnsltd/Instagram
Elvis and Priscilla Presley
Elvis Presley’s cake had everyone all shook up. When he married Priscilla Presley in 1967, his cake was five feet tall and cost approximately $22,000. Some of that extraordinary cost may have been from the 1,500 marzipan roses that topped all six tiers.
Image credit: bakemag/Twitter
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Even though Khloe and Lamar didn’t work out, their cake was still lovely. The two got married in 2009 and split in 2016 after a pretty rocky relationship. But the cake! They even personalized it by adding their initials on top.
Image credit: love_that_shot/Instagram
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
Speaking of the Kardashians, Kim and Kanye reportedly spent $6,685 on their cake, according to Food Network. The cake in question was seven feet tall and decorated with gold leaves, which is perfect for anyone’s fall wedding. The two got married in 2014 and their love is still going strong.
Image credit: kim_kanye_daily/Instagram
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello
Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello have a beautiful romance that their cake matched almost exactly. It’s more or less a pillar topped with a large bouquet. The two beautiful humans were married in 2015.
Image credit: Sofia Vergara/Instagram
George and Amal Clooney
George and Amal Clooney went art deco for their cake when they got hitched in 2014, and it almost looks too cool to eat. (We’re pretty sure they still did.)
Weddingsutra/Instagram
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds might have had more desserts than guests at their wedding, which was an intimate ceremony in South Carolina in 2012. Their cake, featured in back, was just one of the many desserts they offered.
Image credit: boho_belle/Instagram
Domino Kirke and Penn Badgley
Singer Domino Kirke had a few special requests for her cake — she wanted it to be gluten-free and vegan. Her baker had no problem with meeting her request and created this fruity masterpiece to enjoy after officially getting hitched to Penn Badgley in 2017.
Image credit: Domino Kirke
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
Chrissy Teigen opted for a giant carrot cake (yes, carrot cake! So subversive!) when she married singer John Legend in 2013, and she still misses it every day. But, just look at it — wouldn’t you?
Image credit: Chrissy Teigen
Lauren Conrad and William Tell
The Hills star Lauren Conrad opted for a simpler cake at her wedding with William Tell in 2014. No matter what size, it still looks delicious.
Image credit: teafortwoevents/Instagram
Kaley Cuoco and Ryan Sweeting
Kaley Cuoco proved that she likes to be non-traditional with this absolutely gorgeous chandelier cake. This picture will just leave you with so many questions, namely — how is this possible? Although Cuoco and Sweeting are no longer together, at least they have memories of this cake. And maybe some pieces left in their freezers for old times’ sake? The two got married in 2013 and split three years later.
Image credit: thewedlist/Instagram
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
Ellen and Portia reportedly had a small, vegan, red velvet cake for their wedding in 2008. (That’s right — they were way ahead of the vegan dessert trend!) The two are still the cutest couple, ever.
Image credit: portiaandellen_fan/Instagram
Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg
Without a doubt, Jenny McCarthy’s main wedding color was red. Her cake, which she cut with husband Donnie Wahlberg, was white and literally flooding with red flowers. The two got married in 2014.
Image credit: lillyphoto/Instagram
Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie
Hilary Duff said no to the glitz and glam and chose a naked wedding cake that, not going to lie, proves that less is often more. While Duff and Comrie are no more (the two got married in 2010 and split in 2016)
Image credit: cakesofyourdreams/Instagram
Kevin Jonas and Danielle Jonas
Kevin Jonas presented his fancy wedding cake with some candles, making his wedding night even more romantic. Kevin and Danielle got married in 2009 and are still together to this day. Who says true love is dead?
Image credit: dandreotticakes/Instagram
Mark Ballas and BC Jean
Dancer and choreographer Mark Ballas went for a cake that was inspired by the night when he got married to singer-songwriter BC Jean in 2016.
Image credit: weddingsutra/Instagram
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise
Even though their love didn’t last (the couple got divorced in 2012, and rumor has it, it wasn’t pretty), at least their cake was beautiful. Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise debuted a triangular cake at their 2006 wedding. It’s pretty, but not as pretty as Katie’s choice of wedding attire.
Image credit: love_that_shot/Instagram
Kate Moss and Jamie Hince
Model Kate Moss reportedly had a different cake flavor on every layer, proving that the best cakes are elegant on the outside, but mysterious on the inside. The couple were together from 2011 to 2016.
Image credit: weddingsutra/Instagram
Nicole Polizzi and Jionni LaValle
Nicole Polizzi, known best as Jersey Shore‘s Snooki, was inspired by Gatsby when she got married to Jionni LaValle in 2014.
Image credit: laceinweddings/Instagram
Elizabeth Taylor and Conrad Hilton
Now here’s a throwback to 1950! During Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding to Conrad Hilton, the wedding cake seemed to have just as many glamorous accessories as she did.
Image credit: gosavvybride/Instagram
Fergie and Josh Duhamel
Fergie and Josh’s wedding cake was a CASTLE. Unfortunately, the two split in 2017, but this everyone probably thought it was “happily ever after” with this epic cake.
Image credit: cakesofyourdreams/Instagram
Celine Dion and Rene Angelil
Celine Dion and her late husband and love of her life, Rene Angelil, had a wedding cake taller than either of them made of hundreds of individual pastries. They were married in 1994 and were together until Rene’s death in 2016.
[Image credit: cakesofyourdreams/Instagram
Victoria and David Beckham
While one of the more memorable details of the Beckham’s 1999 wedding is that they both wore matching purple to their reception, their cake was also pretty unique. It was decorated with apples and the topper was a nude sculpture of the couple. Hey, when you’ve got it flaunt it. On your wedding cake, at least.
Image credit: Victoria Beckham/Instagram
